President Donald Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and signed several deals on Tuesday.
“Today, President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia finalized a series of landmark agreements that deepen the US-Saudi strategic partnership,” a statement from the White House said.
The deals include the Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, which will provide nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia. The White House did not disclose the details of the agreement. Riyadh had been seeking for Washington to transfer nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, which would give the kingdom a domestic enrichment program.
The White House statement added that the US also agreed to sell Saudi Arabia F-35s and 300 American tanks. Notably, the press release did not say that Trump granted Riyadh a mutual defense pact or that Saudi Arabia would normalize ties with Tel Aviv.
Riyadh has been seeking a defence agreement with Washington, and Trump has called for Saudi Arabia to enter the Abraham Accords. The Accords were a series of agreements in which Muslim states agreed to normalize ties with Tel Aviv.
Israeli officials have been pushing the Trump administration to sell Saudi Arabia F-35s if Saudi Arabia agrees to enter the Accords.
